Protests by AAP: court judgement on march 30

A Delhi court on Tuesday fixed March 30 as the date for pronouncing judgement on whether police should continue probing three cases against Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members for allegedly rioting and unlawful assembly.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja, who was scheduled to pass the order on Tuesday, posted the matter for March 30 saying the order was not prepared.

The court had on March 18 reserved its order after Delhi police claimed that they had had fulfilled all requirements for imposing prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC during the protests by AAP members in front of the Prime Minister's residence and other places here on August 26 last year.

During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, AAP member and an accused in the case, had argued that imposition of section 144 was a "clear abuse of process by the police" and it was "designed to harass them".

The court had then asked the police to explain why section 144 of the CrPC was imposed in the New Delhi area.

Kejriwal, Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and 23 other accused had sought discharge in the case that accused them of rioting, unlawful assembly, use of force to obstruct public servants from discharging their duty and damaging public property.